"Over the coming years, he knew he would have to learn, teach, and nurture his daughter’s gift, one he hoped wouldn’t be detrimental to a life built on promises in the future"

The Cauldron, a former institute built to house violent criminals in the 1600s, is damned after horrific bloodshed instigated by its most violent inmate, Jimmy the Wave. The Cauldron now serves as a hell, and The Diary is a powerful book spawned to enact revenge and lay claim to the souls it needs to survive. Inside the cover of the book is the inscription: "Perdition Awaits." Once the book is opened, it devours its prey with a spellbinding power.

Elfie is imprisoned within the inner depths of The Cauldron and given an opportunity for redemption by the council, otherwise known as the sisters of mercy. His task is to save his bloodline. Rosina, the child “conceived from the genes of purest love,” holds special powers and remains elusive to the control of The Diary. Elfie must reunite Rosina with her father, Danny, who is already entrapped in the clutches of the book. Everything unfolds after the death of Rosina’s comatose mother and when Elfie accepts his mission. But there are sinister forces in play that will stand in the way of Elfie, Danny, and Rosina.

Like a blend of Interstellar and 12 Monkeys, Beer’s novel is a sprawling, supernatural tale that defies time. Written over a period of seventeen years, it is clearly a labor of love from Beer. Much happens within its more than nine hundred pages—a behemoth of a novel—making this visceral and nightmarish narrative a unique read. While packed with plenty of graphic detail and action, Beer is careful to add a dose of sarcastic humor throughout to balance with the darker elements of the plot. His story will appeal to lovers of dark fantasy and sci-fi, but one should be prepared to settle in and commit to this lengthy and bewitching tale.

This review was written by a professional book reviewer with no guarantee that it would receive a positive rating. Some authors pay a small fee to have a book reviewed, while others do not. All reviews are approximately half summary and half criticism. The US Review of Books is dedicated to providing fair and honest coverage to all books.